Kyrie Irving Is Here to Address Your LeBron Questions in the Weirdest Way Possible

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After avoiding discussion of the Cavaliers and LeBron during his introductory press conference with the Celtics, Kyrie Irving decided to address the pending and confounding questions surrounding his sudden exit from Cleveland on First Take on Monday morning. We’re unclear as to why Irving did this, why he chose First Take as an outlet, and whether he knows who Stephen A. Smith is (a parallel reality that I envy). Regardless, it was here that he chose to talk about—albeit in the weirdest way possible—what’s been going on as of late.

Bobbing and weaving like a boxer to the rhythm of Stephen A.’s verbal jabs, Kyrie was terse, short, and coy with his answers. On a show that thrives on long-winded and over-the-top arguments, Kyrie responded like a guy running for office.

Of course, the main topic of contention was Irving asking for a trade off of a team with LeBron James on it. When asked if he informed LeBron of his wishes prior to speaking to management, Kyrie said, simply, “No.” When asked why, he said, “Why would I have to?” When pressed on the optics of that move, Kyrie basically said he didn’t care about how it looked.

Safe to say Kyrie didn’t want to #embracedebate or even posit some facetious claim about he and LeBron are “great,” how they both understand “it’s a business” and that the two will continue to stay in contact. Nope. It was all a weirdly honest, yet not elaborative way of addressing the biggest story in the NBA. What in the world happened between the NBA Finals and now that we don’t know about?

Does Kyrie owe LeBron anything? No, not really. But his response would seemingly only add even more pressure on himself in his upcoming season without LeBron, which was another topic that was addressed during his appearance.

“Time will tell” is such a perfectly cliché way to say nothing at all, and the whole interview was a clinic in avoidance outside of a few rebukes. Though I guess it shouldn’t be surprising that a guy who may or may not believe the earth is flat said, “Oh, if you’re very much woke, there is no such thing as distractions.”

What. Does. That. Even. Mean?

The topper to the whole ordeal came when Irving was asked the ultimate debate question: LeBron or Kobe? And again, Kryie didn’t exactly answer: “In terms of who my favorite player is, my dad first, Kobe second.”

Subtle digs levied in a calm demeanor: Is Kyrie in the Musecage already?

Irving is getting what he wanted by forcing his way out of Cleveland: to write his own script. If this first major interview is any indication, we’re in for quite the journey.

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